LSU coach Ed Orgeron has developed a reputation not only as an excellent football coach, but also as an excellent recruiter.
That's no surprise considering his team's string of success on the recruiting trail. But apparently the Tigers coach wasn't afraid to get unorthodox with his methods early in his LSU tenure. (Again: no surprise coming from someone who once held a live worm in his mouth and reportedly drank anywhere from eight to 10 energy drinks a day).
The latest tale from the legend of Coach O: He once showed up at a prospect's home at 4 a.m. for a recruiting visit, and that player ended up choosing the Tigers.
MORE: Orgeron, once ridiculed, now unapologetically perfect
The story comes from K'Lavon Chaisson, a four-star linebacker from the 2017 recruiting class. The Houston native was considered a heavy lean toward Texas and Tom Herman (who, you'll remember, was LSU's first choice ahead of Orgeron before he took the Texas job). As Chaisson told Pro Football Talk, Orgeron — coming off a 6-2 interim stint in 2016 — showed up at his doorstep at 4 a.m. and accompanied him to the airport, pitching him to LSU the entire way.
"I was going to take my talents to Texas, and he kind of wasn't having that. He set up a home visit. I was on the way to Florida for an official visit. And I was like, 'Coach we don't have time for a home visit. I'm about to head out.’
"Man, he came to my house at 4 in the morning knocking on the door while everybody’s asleep. He made sure he got his visit in. And I was like, 'Coach we've got to head to the airport. We've got to be there for (a 6 a.m. flight).' And he literally followed me to the airport and walked me all the way through TSA and was like, ‘Bro, we got to have you. Please. Please.' He was like, 'I know what to do with you. I'm telling you, we're going to the best of duos.'"
MORE: Orgeron's voice is quintessentially Cajun, a product of his deep Louisiana roots
Confirmed by @S4CKGURU — Coach O is a legend #gotigers @ProFootballTalk @Coach_EdOrgeron @LSUfootball pic.twitter.com/OCYX6Lvpsy
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 1, 2020
Orgeron's words, of course, rang true. Chaisson was an SEC All-Freshman selection in 2017, an All-SEC selection in 2019, a member of only the second 15-0 team in modern football history and, now, a potential first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Another oddly fascinating story from Orgeron — and yet more proof LSU made the right choice for its head coach.
